Canucks turn an embarrassment of riches in net into a flat-out embarrassment

Vancouver Province | Jul 1

Decades from now, when people are recounting the Vancouver Canucks history, this will be one of the days they remember.

Whether it's fondly or not, remains to be seen.

Much of that will depend on Roberto Luongo, the deposed starter whose Canucks career was resurrected in the latest, and most-bizarre chapter of the Vancouver goaltending saga.

Of this, there can be no debate: The Canucks turned an embarrassment of riches in their net into a flat-out embarrassment.

Oh, this is a mess. A big one.

Now, we wait to see how willing Luongo is to clean it up.

Luongo turned down interview requests Sunday, still trying to collect his bearings at his home in Florida after shock rained down on him.

Turns out, Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini was the rainmaker. Aquilini arrived in Florida sometime before the draft in an attempt to repair the burned bridge between Luongo and the Canucks.

Having the owner fly across the continent to tell a player that he hasn't been traded is an unprecedented move.

Even in the world of the Luongo Circus, which has been ongoing in Vancouver for years, this one stands out like an Miss Universe pageant with nothing but bearded ladies.

Aquilini told Luongo the Canucks were making a U-turn on their goalies moments before Cory Schneider was traded.

It was not news Luongo easily embraced. When he left Vancouver in April, he left it believing he would never play here again. He left saying this was Cory's team now.

And he left believing the he'd be playing out the rest of his contract, which has nine years left, in some other city.

Learning he's the chosen one all over again in the Lower Mainland may have been like learning Florida had traded him to Vancouver back in 2006 in the first place. Then, he said he felt shocked, saddened, betrayed and, finally excited.